In sentencing Rajaratnam, Holwell must consult the U.S. Sentencing Commission's Guidelines Manual, more than 500 pages of tables and instructions for calculating advisory guideline sentences. Fraud sentences are largely determined by the amount lost in the fraud, lawyers said.

That's why Raj's lawyers are fighting to convince the judge that he only earned $7.4 million (which would get him aroung 6.5 - 8 years in jail). Prosecuting lawyers say he earned $72 million (12.5 - 24.5 years in jail).

The prosecution and the defense differ on the length of the prison sentence because of a major discrepancy to the tune of $64.6 million in the profits Rajaratnam earned from his insider trading.

Prosecutors have requested the judge sentence the Rajaratnam to 19 1/2 to 24 1/2 in prison saying that his insider trading actions allowed him to reap $72 in illegal profits.

The defense, meanwhile, maintains that Rajaratnam only made $7.4 million from insider trading and that would result in a prison sentence of 6 1/2 to 8 years, according to the guidelines.